Outlawed
by Dark and Wild
Summary: Bella has been with the Volturi for over a century. When Aro sends her on a mission to scout out the Cullens to find traitors before their execution, can Bella save them? Is she willing to sacrifice her life to save them? Rated M, R&R please!
1. 01: The Mission

All right, so I was reading some FanFictions and I found this really good one called Protecting Him by twiXlite. It got my muse running around in my head, and it ordered me to write something about this. So, like any other reasonable writer would do, I of course agreed and therefore am writing this story for your benefit. ^_^ Anyways, before I post the lengthened summary, I would just like to **disclaim** all characters, except for a few that I designed myself to help along the plot. Stephenie Meyer owns Twilight, I do not. This is only my plot…

Bella has been working with the Volturi for over a hundred years. As Aro's personal pet, she holds a prominent place in the family's world. She lives differently from everyone else, only feeding off of animals rather than humans. Her only companion is the young vampire Nessie, whom Bella turned only a few years before by Aro's request. Life is simply uneventful, and Bella wonders if there is any more to the life she leads.

Aro, however, has received word of a coven in the Pacific Northwest portion in America that has reached a number the vampire world has never seen. A source has also revealed that a few of the members have gifts that rival the Volturi's. Feeling threatened, Aro can only do one thing: he must destroy them before they get any ideas of revolution.

Bella is the one chosen to go and scout out this strange coven for any weaknesses, but Bella finds herself in a new situation. What will happen when she meets these Cullens? Will she be willing to sacrifice her life, and Nessie's, to save them? Rated M for later chapters and please read and review!

X-x-X

**Chapter 01: The Mission**

_Bella POV_

I sat alone on my favorite rooftop that night, letting the cool autumn air swirl through my long mahogany hair. My golden eyes scanned the world below me. Most people had retreated into their homes for the evening, and many lights were already off. I could hear the heartbeats of hundreds of humans around me, and the faint scorching at the back of my throat reminded me why I had to stay away from them. I was dangerous. And I hated it.

"Bella? Are you up here?" A voice that I knew too well reached my ears, and I tilted my head in the direction my dearest companion had been calling from.

"I am," I answered. Even after a hundred years, I never got used to how perfect my voice sounded. Or how beautiful I was. During my human life, I remember being plain and boring – but now I was so beautiful that even the prettiest of men would turn their heads to look at me. "What are you doing out here, Nessie? You know Aro doesn't like us being outside."

"I came to talk to you," my friend protested as she lightly climbed over the top and came to sit down with me.

She had beautiful reddish brown hair, like a coppery color, that went down to her shoulders. Her perfect porcelain face was long, and she had full lips and eyes that had once been chocolate brown, like mine had been. Now they were honey golden – proof that, like me, she chose not to feed from humans. She fed from animals. She was the only other vampire I knew that understood my lifestyle. Nessie was, in truth, the only friend I had.

I didn't like taking away the life of humans. I had never liked blood in my human life, and now drinking what had once been my fear seemed repulsive. I still felt the bloodlust that others of my kind felt, but unlike them, I chose to ignore it. Well, _resist_ it was a better way to word it.

So I sighed. Nessie was a daring young vampire whom I had turned only two years ago under my master, Aro's, request. Ever since she woke up into this new life I had damned her with, she never left my side for more than a few hours. In truth, she was like the daughter I would never have. She was sweet, considerate, and brave too. For instance, our master Aro hated it when we were outside, but she came out here to be with me anyway. Nessie was quite the loyal one, and was never afraid to break the rules for my sake.

"Nessie, he'll be angry with you. And he would notice something when Jane began to hurt you and you didn't feel anything because I was protecting you," I reminded her.

Nessie shrugged and settled herself next to me, looking out at the night with the same speculative expression I had been using just moments before. "It doesn't matter. Aro and Jane can get angry with me all they want. I don't care," she stated bravely.

I shook my head. Nessie was young, and she didn't understand the power that Aro and the rest of the Volturi held over her now. She was going to start training with her abilities soon to become a member of the guard, and after that, Nessie would hardly see me anymore. I was reluctant for that day to come, because I had become quite attached to her over these past two years.

"You shouldn't say such things," I chastised her gently. "They are your masters now, and you have to obey them."

"Nobody is my master except me," Nessie declared in response. "I do what I want to, and when I want to. They shouldn't tell me what to do, and they shouldn't tell you either." She looked at me with a daring look in her eye as she swung her legs back and forth like a child might.

"You shouldn't be thinking those things. They'll only get you hurt," I warned her, knowing this was true myself.

Nessie eyed me for a few more seconds after that, and let out a sigh in defeat. "Fine. You win this time," she said submissively, ducking her head. "But next time, _I'm_ going to win. You know I don't like to lose." She sent me a toothy grin and I couldn't help but laugh a little at her spirit. She was the most promising young girl I had ever met, and she still had hope yet of escaping this hellhole.

"We should head back in. They'll be missing us before long," I suggested, and I lithely got up to my feet and pulled Nessie to her feet as well. She was shorter than I was by an inch or two, and she took my hand and led me back down into the alleyway from which we had come. A small sewer hole lay in the dark corner of the alley, and we both plunged into it without a second thought. In a way, this was the front door to our home – we were as comfortable throwing ourselves into complete darkness, as a fox would be entering its hole.

Of course, there was no such thing as darkness for eyes like ours.

As soon as I got inside, I rubbed my back and shoulders against the dank-smelling walls. Nessie watched me curiously.

"What are you doing?" she asked in a tiny voice that was hardly more than a breath, but of course I heard it. I answered back in the same voice,

"Rubbing the scent of the outdoors off of me. Do the same, so they don't know."

Nessie nodded and copied my actions without a second thought. Once again, I was caught off guard by how much she trusted me. It would be hard when I convinced her to run away from here, or the Volturi tore her away for training. She didn't deserve this life, this prisoner's life that so many of us led.

When we were done erasing the scent of the fresh night air, Nessie and I ventured down the route we both had memorized. It was a few turns to the left, then a turn to the right… and of course it was then that we arrived at the place that I grudgingly called my home.

The human receptionist, Gianna, as sitting at her desk as usual in the reception room, glasses low over her exotic green eyes. She looked up as we entered, and gave us a warm smile. It sickened me that any human would want to be a part of this, so naturally Gianna and I didn't get along so well. But, since she wanted to be kept someday, she had to make a good impression on Aro by being nice to me.

"Good evening Bella, Nessie. You've returned a little late," she asked, though I heard the nosy tone behind her statement.

"Yes. I was showing Nessie some more of the underground tunnels," I lied smoothly. Had I been human, lies would have been hard to tell because the red on my cheeks would give me away. Now I could lie easily.

Gianna nodded cordially, though I could see that she wished she didn't believe me. But I was such a convincing liar now that she truly did believe me. She thought I was too stupid to lie.

"Have any meetings been called by our masters?" I questioned.

"No. Aro, Caius, and Marcus are discussing an execution with Jane and Alec at the moment. You may do whatever you wish," Gianna answered, and began to read the book she had been reading again.

Looking back at Nessie, I nodded. Together we strolled back to where our personal rooms were, not that we used them ever. As vampires, we never slept and therefore had no need for beds and chairs. All we had were dressers that belonged to us, and trinkets that Aro bestowed upon us as a reward whenever we did a mission successfully. There was hardly any privacy in the Volturi, with the powers of the members, but I was the exception to this rule.

It was strange, really. Many vampires had special abilities – besides the super speed and strength that came with being a vampire. My ability was to shield my mind and other's minds from mental attack. Aro, a powerful mind reader, could not read my thoughts. Alec, a sedative vampire who could blind all senses, had no effect on me. Jane, his spiteful twin sister who could cause mental pain with her angelic smile, could not hurt me. It was very useful, and Aro liked to keep me close by as his personal pet.

"Bella?" Nessie asked. She knew we were now in the hearing range of all Volturi vampires, so she decided to keep the conversation light. "When do you think we should go for our next hunt?"

"Er…" I wasn't expecting that question exactly, but it would do. "In about a week or two. You know I don't like to stretch my limits."

Nessie and I both heard the collective snorts that went off around us. None of the Volturi really approved of our lifestyle, but they had to accept us since Aro had a partial attitude to us both. Nessie also had an interesting power that kept her near Aro. She could show her emotions and memories through touch, and at the moment Aro was trying to experiment with her to see if it developed into anything else.

"Alright," Nessie answered. I knew she didn't like to be around everyone where our voices could be heard wherever we went. She hated having no privacy around others. I had grown used to it. We entered into my room, which was only a few rooms down from Aro and his wife's, and shut the door behind us.

Unlike most of the vampires here, there was a bed in my room and a chair or two. The bed was mainly for keepsake purposes – I liked having reminders that I was once human, and that I hadn't always been a monster who worked for even worse monsters. I also liked it because it was soft, and it was comfortable to sit on or lay down on whenever I got bored and needed a place to think. Nessie was a frequent visitor to this room, and she had grown used to my strange attractions to human things.

We sat in there for a while, thinking and making light conversation. For the most part, though, it was just us sitting in silence, thinking our own thoughts. I didn't know how long we were in there.

So I was surprised when a knock on the door interrupted our conversation.

"Come in," I called.

The door opened to reveal two Volturi vampires, Jane and Felix. Jane was a spiteful vampire who was half my size and twice as vicious. She didn't like me much, since Aro was beginning to show that he favored me more than he favored her. Felix was a bigger vampire who liked to wink at me often or make a physical move for me every now and then. He was quite flirtatious, and flirted with all the female vampires around – except Jane of course.

"Master wishes to see you," Jane snarled, narrowing her darkening red eyes at me. There would be another feeding soon, I could tell. "He has a mission for you."

"Something important, I hear," Felix said with an impish grin. "Congrats, Bell. You get your first big job." He winked, and I forced myself not to shudder at his use of the nickname he had invented.

"I'll go to him immediately," I assured them both, and I stood from the bed on which I had been sitting. "Come on, Nessie."

"The girl stays," Jane now snapped. "She is not allowed to be informed of this. You are to go to Master _alone_."

I sighed, and Nessie opened her mouth to protest. Before she could say anything to upset Jane and get herself into trouble, I gently touched her shoulder and gave her a reassuring glance. She looked at me for a moment before silently consenting and left the room. Jane and Felix both gave her a wide berth. Jane gestured that I go immediately, and I grudgingly obliged.

Aro's private meeting room was off the main hall, and when I went in, I was surprised to find that Aro was not alone. His two brothers, Caius and Marcus, were inside as well. It must have been important, and so I shut the door the second I walked in.

Sunlight filtered in through the window, and I figured that Nessie and I had spent at least a few hours alone in my room. The sunlight that came through threw rainbows across my skin as I glittered like a diamond. I sat down, and looked at my three masters with obedient eyes.

"My dearest Bella," Aro greeted me in a cordial manner. I was beginning to become his favorite, so his greetings were becoming more and more intimate. But now that his brothers were around, and he seemed to be in the makings of an important mission, he had no time to get up to kiss my cheeks or give me a small hug. To others, the touch would be alarming because Aro's amazing ability with minds, but not with me. "I imagine you've heard that we have a very important mission for you."

"Extremely important," Caius agreed, his maroon eyes bright with an emotion I didn't particularly like to see – malice.

Marcus simply watched me with the same maroon eyes and a dead expression. Nothing ever really showed on his face, and I had grown used to his stare.

"I've heard, sir," I answered, agreeing. "What is the mission? I'll do my best to do it successfully."

"You won't try. You'll do," Caius barked. He was always the more aggressive of the three, and he never liked the word _try_. He definitely was one who liked to see the job finished.

"Yes, Master," I mumbled.

"Now, now, dearest Bella," Aro began. As the leader of the three, he took a step forward to smile at me and began pacing back and forth. "I suppose you have heard the name Cullen mentioned before."

I nodded. Aro talked about his colleague Carlisle Cullen often – but he had never revealed much. All I knew was that Carlisle was a faint friend of the Volturi's. He had stayed with the three brothers when the family had been much smaller many, many years ago and had left. Aro never told me why he left, or where he lived. I had never thought anything of it.

"Bella, darling, this mission we are to send you on is one we haven't done in quite a while. The Volturi have had no need to dirty our hands like this in many years, and I do believe that you are perfect for this mission. You see we need a new face that the Cullens have never seen before; and one that they cannot decipher. I have heard that they have a mind reader amongst their ranks. Since you are able to evade my abilities, I have no doubt you can evade this one's as well. We need you to investigate this coven before we can charge them with any crimes," Aro explained.

"What crime do you wish to charge them with, Master?" I asked, my curiosity peaked. The Cullens were not a frequent topic of conversation – just least enough to make me interested in them.

"I believe they are conspiring against us. Their numbers have grown significantly in the past hundred years, from one vampire to seven. It has also become aware to us that many of the members have special abilities; and if they don't, there is some kind of physical quality about them that makes them dangerous," Aro now said. He gestured towards a great painting on the wall. "This is the patriarch – Carlisle Cullen, my once ally. Now I believe he wishes to revolt against me."

"Why would he wish to revolt against you, sire?" I questioned. As one of Aro's favorites, I had seen the painting many times. The beautiful blond vampire standing in between Aro and Marcus didn't seem to be threatening at all.

Caius snorted, which caused all eyes to revert to him. "Surely you are not so dull that you can't figure it out?" he questioned angrily. I shrank from his angry voice. "We have all the power in the vampire world. The Cullens could start a revolution, and come against us. I, as in we, want this threat eliminated so that it won't develop into anything worse than that."

"Why don't you just execute them all?" I questioned. That was normally the way my masters liked to do it – they liked to act quickly so nobody could react. "As soon as you can?"

"Well, you see, dear Bella, that we think there is a chance that some of the Cullens would be willing to join us. But of course we don't know the full extent of their powers, and some of them might be exceedingly useful," Aro informed me. "I have heard rumors that there is a clairvoyant one amongst them."

"We want you to see how powerful they are, and if any will join us," Caius added on. "That is the basis of your mission."

I sighed. There was no point in trying to argue my way out of this one, considering as the last time I had tried I literally almost had my head ripped off. Besides, if my masters wanted something this badly, there would be no stopping them from getting it. I knew that first hand. So I had the first mission I had had in decades – to explore a coven and search for traitors before they were all executed. It was going to be a dirty job, but I would handle it. I had to, if I wanted to stay alive.

"When do you wish for Nessie and I to leave?" I questioned. Nessie would be going with me, of course. There was no way we would be apart.

"Nessie? The foolish young one?" Caius sneered. "Bella, surely you know that she can't come with you. She is too young, and she will be a risk if she accompanies you. She will stay here."

"But-"

"There are no buts about it," Caius snapped before I could finish my response. "Your beloved Nessie will stay here under watch. She is too young to be trusted with something like this, and frankly I don't trust her much at all. She could turn traitor and have you turned in to the Cullens. They would have you murdered in seconds once they knew what you were plotting."

"Nessie would never do that," I grumbled before anyone else could interrupt me.

"Nevertheless, this will be a mission you will be doing alone I'm afraid," Aro said in regret. He paused in his pacing to offer me a ghostly smile. "You know I hate to risk your pretty head, Bella, but you are the only one I know of that the Cullens have not yet heard of or seen and that can literally hide your thoughts."

"Yes, Master," I said, sighing. How could I leave Nessie behind? She was my only companion, and the only person who truly understood me. This mission would be, quite literally, hell without her. And it would be hard on her too. She needed me, in a sense, and she relied on me to protect her from the nastier members of the Volturi who didn't particularly like her. I was more worried for her sake than mine, obviously. She could get hurt. She probably _would_ get hurt. I wouldn't be able to forgive myself if she did. She was my responsibility after all.

"Bella." Aro lightly touched my shoulder, causing me to look up at his papery face, his dark red eyes gleaming. "I know leaving your dear charge behind will be hard. But you must do this for the good of the vampire world. We can't afford revolution."

I sighed again, but nodded. "I understand, Master," I murmured.

"You will leave tonight on the first plane out of Italy. We will allow Nessie to accompany you to the airport – Felix will drive you both. But she will not be permitted to follow you onto the plane. Understood?" Caius said, leaning forward as he looked at me intently.

How could I not say yes? "Yes, Master," was my automatic response. "Where do these Cullens live?"

"They live in Forks, Washington. In the United States," Marcus suddenly reported, his voice blank. It was the first time he had spoken. He wasn't looking at me, though – he was staring into space. "There are three couples in the family and one lone male. The clairvoyant one will probably see Bella coming."

"Yes, yes, we've thought of that," Caius answered impatiently, waving a hand idly at the other Volturi brother.

"What am I to tell them?" I asked.

"I'm sure your wonderful, private little mind can think something up," Aro assured me. "You are a wonderful liar, Bella. I know you will do well, my pet."

"I will do my best, Master," I replied, and I turned to leave. "Is that all?"

"You are dismissed," Caius confirmed.

I exited their small office-like room with gratefulness. There was a sick feeling in the pit of my stomach that I hadn't felt since I was a human. I felt like regurgitating the deer blood I had drunk last night, and I leaned against the wall for support for a moment so I could regain my composure. I knew what I was worried about, and I knew what my masters expected of me.

How could I tear a family apart? Marcus had said that the coven was made up of mainly couples. That must have meant they loved each other. How could I, a measly guard, ever have experienced such things before? Second, how could I leave Nessie behind? She was my charge, and she was too spirited for her own good. It would get her into trouble while I was gone, and I couldn't help but have the feeling that something was going to happen whether I liked it or not. That was probably what the feeling in the pit of my stomach was.

I was panicked. I was anxious. I had no idea what to do about the Cullens.

* * *

EOC: Ha! I finished the first chapter in three days. Not bad for a freshman, huh? Anyway, how did you all like it? I'm actually sort of proud of this, despite my crappy portrayal of Bella. Everyone's portrayal will be crappy probably. XP This is the first FanFic I've written that involved the Volturi AND all vampires. But once again, I'd like to thank the story Protecting Him by twiXlite because it's so amazing and it inspired me to write what will soon become this very angst-filled story. Y'all should go check it out. Please read and review, because reviews make my world go 'round! Thanks, and I'll try to update soon! - Dark and Wild


	2. 02: The Plane

Hoorah! I finally managed to get the second chapter up, after watching a whole bunch of New Moon Interviews and such. I'm so obsessed. There's been a lot of crap going on too, with studying for finals and my birthday coming up! *does a little dance* Yeah, and I have to say goodbye to all my seniors too... *sniffles* Anyways, I'm thinking you probably want to read the next chapter. But before you do, be reminded that I am **not** Stephenie Meyer. I do not own the Twilight franchise in anyway. I'm just messing with a plot and the characters.

X-x-X

**Chapter 02: The Revelation**

_Edward POV_

Alice sat with me at the piano that day, singing along as I played some of my favorite melodies. Summer break was always such a relief in our household, even if summer break meant a marginally higher rate of sunshine. We had no worries about school, and could enjoy each other's company that much more.

I was playing one of my favorite pieces that I had composed – a light toned song that bounced along with a smooth and sincere melody. It reminded me very much of my dearest little sister Alice, which was why I had invited her to sit next to me as I played. She had decided to add her own flavor to it, and so here she was singing away at my side. Esme, my adopted mother, and Jasper, my newest brother, both sat nearby, listening to the melody and also listening to Alice sing.

"_It's so good to hear him playing," _Esme was thinking cheerfully.

That was something about me. Other vampires had special abilities – I could read the minds of those around me, but only what they were thinking at the current moment. The other members of my family had special abilities too; most of them did, anyway.

My sister, Alice, who was sitting next to me, could see the future. She was never pleased with herself or her visions, because her clairvoyant visions were subjective. She could only see what the future was while the person it concerned was on that course of action. If they changed their mind, her visions changed. It frustrated her often, even though it did prove useful for many things despite what she protested from day to day.

My brother Jasper had his ability in emotions. Not only could he sense the emotional atmosphere in the room, he could also manipulate those said emotions. If he didn't want a fight to break out, all he had to do was give everyone a peace-loving attitude. It was very advantageous.

Esme really didn't have a supernatural ability besides her strength and speed. But like everyone else in this family, she had a purpose. She was our mother, the vampire who would always love us no matter our mistakes or flaws.

In a way, we really were a family.

As the song drifted to a close, Alice clapped. Esme of course joined in, and Jasper smiled from his perch on the couch. I couldn't help but smile as Alice then threw her arms around me cheerfully.

"Thank you, Edward. I loved it," she purred cheerfully.

"_I loved it too,"_ Esme praised silently as she stood up from the couch. _"I'm going to find Carlisle now – we need to talk about his late hours at the hospital."_ And so with this, she left the room.

Jasper stepped forward to gather my pixie of a little sister into his arms, picking her up easily from the piano bench. Though he and I didn't get along as well as Emmett and I did, he was still a brother in every sense of the word. He was quiet and loyal, and had that charisma around him that drew people to him. His ability probably helped with that – it was always strangely easy to talk to him whenever he started up a conversation.

"I'm going to steal Alice, if you don't mind, Edward," Jasper said out loud. There was still a faint Southern twang to it that hardly anybody noticed.

"I don't mind," I replied, looking down at the keys again. "She _is_ yours, after all."

Alice giggled and winked at me from Jasper's arms. "See you later, Edward," she said, and together she and Jasper left me all alone with my piano.

My two other siblings, Emmett and Rosalie, were out fixing cars in the garage. I could hear Rosalie tinkering away underneath her newest project – an FC 355 Coupe that Emmett had gotten her as a present that had a few problems with the engine. Neither of them had special abilities, though Emmett was simply huge – if there was no other way to word it. Rosalie… though she certainly hadn't come to terms with this eternal life, she was still a sister in many ways.

And so I began composing again, trying to hide myself from all the love and romance in the house. Thoughts of admiration and love shot across my mind, and I realized I hadn't even started playing when I was suddenly sick of being here. I needed to get out, and get some fresh air.

The moment I thought the idea, my body willed itself to speed outside. I was then in the great outdoors, racing through the forest on the other side of the river. Some peace and quiet was all I needed – time away from all the couples that loved each other so.

There was a place I went, when the stuffy and suffocating atmosphere at home became too much. There was a small meadow in the mountains, filled with the wondrous scents of wildflowers and fresh water that was undisturbed. No humans ever ventured there, and my siblings knew to stay away from it. I liked to think of it as my own meadow, in a way, because over the past two years we had been here, I had come to think of it as a sanctuary. It was a place safe from the rest of the world, and I enjoyed the muffled silence that surrounded me when I was there.

As I arrived, birds that nested there scattered, and any animals taking refuge in burrows cowered or fled as I passed. I was a predator, and they were the prey. It was simply natural instinct.

I sat down in that small meadow, sitting at the edge as I once again admired the beauty of the place I had found. And I began to think, about a great many things.

For instance, I thought about my family.

Carlisle, of course, was the father figure. I looked up to him, and he as well as the entire family knew it. He was the main reason I abstained from human blood, and he was the reason I found it bearable to be a vampire. And I could never forget Esme, who was turned some time after I was, and who had acted as a mother to me all these years. She had been so accepting, so loving… I don't think any boy in the world could have two parents as lovely and perfect as mine were. I loved them, like a son would, and I always would.

Then there were my siblings. Rosalie had always been a difficult sister. She was a tad vain, and always thought of herself more than anything. I found it irritating at times whenever she was around, but I knew she couldn't help the way she was. The only bright side about her was that she cared about this family just as much as I did. There was also Emmett, who was the big brother I'd never had as a human. He was playful, protective… and most of all childish. He was always willing to play a game, no matter the cost or odds.

On the other side, there was Jasper and Alice. They were an odd pair, both of whom were turned by someone else and had come to the family asking for a place to stay. Jasper was the more quiet type, but loyal to us all the same. He had a devotion to this life that was almost religious, though with his horrible past down South I understood it completely. He was almost as dedicated as I was, but he certainly had more trouble with it.

Lastly, there was Alice. Alice was my dearest sibling, and the only girl I'd ever truly gotten along with it. I felt like a brother to her, like I had to protect her. Anybody who met her instantly liked her, but with her and I it had been different. When we had first met all those years ago, she had told me I would always like her best. Of course, a year later, it had come true. We had been hunting…

Alice crouched next to me, watching the herd of elk down below us with thirsty black eyes, but for the moment she didn't seemed interested in the kill.

"_Alice?" I asked gently. I didn't even need to finish the question._

"_Edward, you won't be lonely forever. I promise," Alice answered, looking at me with speculative eyes. "I know it makes you feel frustrated whenever we're spending time… together. Jasper can feel it all the time. I'm sorry about that, but it won't always be like this." She offered a small reassuring smile._

_Alice had always been the only one to figure out what I had always wanted. "When?" I whispered._

_My sister sighed. "I can't see that," she murmured. "I only see…"_

_She thought about her visions, so I saw everything too. There was a flash of chocolate brown eyes, a heart-shaped face, and hyacinth blue cloth. A beautiful face glued to mine as we kissed in passionate abandonment… I sighed in relief. My only deeply rooted fear was I would be alone for the rest of eternity, but Alice's vision had just proved that wrong. She was the only one who understood. I was glad she had shown me this. _

"_Thank you," I murmured. _

"_No problem," she replied, and then she leaped down to surprise the herd of elk. I jumped after her, letting the bloodlust overwhelm me as we shot down from our perches together. _

And so thinking about what Alice had shown me time and time again got me thinking about this mystery beauty that she declared I would one day be with.

She was no doubt beautiful. I had asked Alice on a number of occasions to show me those wondrous brown eyes, even though it was a selfish act on my part. No matter how many times I asked her, Alice always showed me. She never lost patience with me, and was always eager to show me one image in particular – something she had seen only a few weeks after that.

It had been a sight of the beautiful woman. She had golden eyes like ours, which meant that she shared our diet, and she was arm in arm with Alice, a shopping bag on her elbow. I stood behind them, watching from the distance with a smile. There was an awed type of expression on my face that I couldn't quite identify. I smiled every time I thought of that vision, and Alice often showed me that one too.

I had no idea how long I sat there, lost in my thoughts as I gazed out at my beautiful meadow. I was only aware that it was growing darker when I heard someone approaching. I tensed and sniffed the air, and then I let my shoulders relax. It was only Carlisle.

"Son."

My relaxed shoulders instantly tensed up again. I got to my feet as my father raced into view, his golden hair windblown and his darkened eyes wide. It was obvious. Something was wrong. His agitated thoughts didn't do much to sooth me either.

"Carlisle? What's going on?" I demanded.

"It's Alice," Carlisle answered softly, looking concerned. My eyes widened. What was wrong? Had Alice been hurt, had she disappeared? What had happened to my sister? "She's had a vision. We're getting a visitor, and she said you would recognize whoever it was. We have to hurry. Alice said the visitor would be here in a few hours. I wanted everyone back at the house so we can decide what to do. Most of our kind don't approach us like this. I don't know if something's wrong, or…"

"Let's go," I agreed, and together we raced off into the trees. What was going on?

X-x-X

_Bella POV_

"Nessie, come on."

Everything was packed, my flight was booked, and I was ready to go. Caius, Marcus, and Aro had already wished me luck, and had summoned Felix to drive Nessie and me to the airport. Even though Nessie wouldn't be boarding the plane with me, she still wanted to come so she could say goodbye. Felix had promised to stay in the car, because Nessie and I wanted to say our goodbyes in private – so nobody would hear the things we had to say. If Felix heard something, he might tell Aro something rather rebellious we did. And since I wouldn't be around, Nessie would pay the price.

I couldn't let that happen.

Nessie sighed, and picked up both of my suitcases. She didn't like being separated, because she really was attached to me. She didn't like the idea of me going to Forks by myself, to face the Cullens alone. I didn't like it much either, because I didn't know how they would react to me.

What if they hated me right on the spot, and refused to see me ever again? What if they turned out to be completely vicious, and wanted to tear me apart the moment they saw me? I shivered. I wasn't much of a physical fighter, though I had my training. I wasn't used to fighting people with my hands. I was used to Alec and Jane taking care of that for me. It was a bit lazy of me, I knew, but it was still true.

"I wish you didn't have to go," Nessie grumbled. "Life is going to get so boring without you."

_No,_ I wanted to say out loud. _Life is going to get that much harder with the masters on your tails._ Instead, I just replied, "You'll be fine, Nessie. Promise."

The sulking look on her face could make me tell that she wasn't all that reassured. I wish I could tell her the truth, and take her with me. But knowing my masters, they would probably consider that treason.

We went out to the reception area. Aro and Felix were there, waiting for us in peaceful silence.

Aro's face uplifted into a smile when he saw me coming. Felix just grinned in that sickeningly animalistic way he always did when I was around him. Nessie stuck close to my side, and I gently placed my shield over her mind. Even though she tried not to show it, she was afraid of Aro and the other two Volturi leaders. The only one she felt comfortable around was me.

"Are you ready, my dearest?" Aro asked brightly.

Always so happy. I couldn't help the small frown that came to my face. At least I would be away from all of this in less than an hour.

Aro misinterpreted my frown and was instantly at my side, patting my shoulder with a sympathetic look. I wonder if his wife knew how close he thought he was to me. "Bella, my sweet, the Cullens will not harm you on the spot. Not only are they normally peaceful to outsiders, but you are simply too beautiful to destroy." He kissed my cheek and I forced myself not to flinch. Nessie made a small noise of disgust, but Aro ignored her.

Felix simply winked.

Aro led us out to the car, told me that he would be expecting a report soon, and Felix sped Nessie and I away from the Volturi hideout. It was pitch black outside, and I could only wonder what ungodly time this was. But, of course, to vampires time had no meaning.

Nessie sat close to me on the entire ride to the airport, fiddling with her fingers and keeping her eyes downcast.

The ride wasn't too long – it lasted for about twenty minutes with Felix's insane driving and the desertedness of the roads. When we pulled up to the drop-off terminal to the Italian airport, he winked at me again and twisted in his seat to smile at me as well.

"I'll miss you, Bells," he snickered as I got out of the car. Nessie followed – she was allowed to accompany me to the terminal, where we would say our goodbyes without having to worry about anyone overhearing. I ignored Felix. I found that if you did that enough he left you alone for about five minutes.

Nessie got my suitcases out before I could grab them. "I want to carry them," she said as I opened my mouth to protest. "It's the least I can do."

"Got that right," Felix snickered again from inside the car.

I glared in his direction. There was no need for formalities now. I would be gone for a few months. "Back off, Felix," I snapped. He looked at me in surprise and I had to resist the urge to laugh. Nessie looked at me as if I had sprouted wings and grew a tail, which made me want to laugh all the more.

"Come on, Nessie," I said. "I don't want to miss my flight."

Nessie looked downtrodden again, and I felt bad for bringing it up. "Okay," she whispered.

With identical sighs, we went into the airport. Nessie stayed by my side through the whole experience. Through check-in, baggage drop-off, security (it wasn't too hard to convince the horny male police officer to let us both through, even though Nessie wasn't getting on a plane), and even through finding a seat in the terminal. There was still five minutes until the scheduled boarding, so we simply sat down.

"I'm going to miss you," Nessie murmured.

I sighed. This was the hardest part of leaving Italy. I had to leave Nessie behind, and to face our masters alone whenever they were angry. She knew that she couldn't go outside anymore unless she was hunting, and she wouldn't be allowed to go anywhere that someone from the Volturi wasn't. She'd basically be living a prisoner's life.

"I know," I replied. "I'm going to miss you too. You have to promise me that you'll be careful, and obey every command Aro gives you."

Nessie grumbled, "Every command my ass."

"Nessie, do you promise me?" I pressed urgently. I glared at her until she caved, looking defeated. I hated what this was probably doing to her, and I wish that I could take her with me. But that would get us both killed, even though I knew she would agree if I asked her to come.

"I promise," she agreed sullenly, glaring at the tacky carpet floor. "I'm still going to miss you though, Bella. You have to promise _me_ that you're going to be okay. You have to come back, or I'll come to get you even if Aro puts his entire guard in my way to stop me." She looked at me seriously, and I could tell she meant it. I meant a lot to her, because I was her mentor and a friend.

I forced myself to smile. "I promise, Nessie. I'll be fine, don't worry," I said, even though there was no way of assuring her that I was telling the truth. I was still worried about how the Cullens would receive me.

Nessie didn't look convinced, but she let that slide. "And you also have to promise to call me three nights from now, after eleven o' clock," she added suddenly.

"What? Why?" I demanded, confused.

"Because. I'm going to go hunting that night after eleven. And you have to call me while I'm hunting, so nobody can hear us talk. You might have something to tell me that you don't want Aro to know. And I'll be able to keep it a secret anyway," she told me.

"How?"

"You know how Aro's been working with me to create memories in my mind and force them onto others?' Nessie questioned. I was afraid where this was going.

"Yes…?" I said, encouraging her to continue.

Nessie then grinned. "Well, it's been working for the past week or so. Ever since I've been putting memories into his head that he shouldn't have for real. For instance, he's thinks I told him that Jane and Alec have been acting weird lately. Cool, huh?" She looked so proud of herself. I probably looked terrified. She caught the expression on my face. "What? What's wrong, Bella?"

"If Aro finds out you've been lying to him…"

"Flight A57 to Seattle, now boarding," came the overhead announcement in Italian, and I looked up and ran my hands over my face. My carry-on item was a small bag full of things to do. It contained numerous items that were valuable to me. My iPod, a notebook journal, a few pens, and my favorite classic novels that would keep me busy for the next fourteen hours. Since, of course, I couldn't sleep. I stood, and Nessie stood with me. This was it – our final goodbye.

I gave her a hug, and said softly, "You have to be careful, Nessie. Don't lie to Aro unless you have to. I'll miss you."

"Bye, Bella," Nessie replied. I didn't miss that she ignored my first two sentences. When I pulled away and slipped my bag over my shoulder, she looked like if she were human she would have been crying. All I could do was kiss her forehead in a motherly way and offer her a small smile.

"Be careful, Nessie," I reminded her as I turned away. The image of Nessie looking at me like that would probably be burned into my head from now own. But I also had to remind myself that I had to call her in three days after eleven.

So, with that thought, as I boarded the plane, I instantly began planning. I had to have a good lie for the Cullens, and they had to believe me. The idea came to me within a second. As soon as it came, I began plotting. I don't even think I pulled out any of my items for the rest of the ride to America.

* * *

EOC: How did you like that one, huh? This took me forever, with all the crap going on, but I did it anyway! I have a little contest for the few people reading this. (XD) Alright, so the one thing I'm going to give away is that Rosalie is the one to find out that Bella is from the Volturi, and that she's been lying to them. So whoever can come up with the CRUELEST way for Rosalie to expose Bella to the entire family (this doesn't happen for a long time, mind) gets a little prize: they get their very own original vampire character – someone with a special ability.

So to do this… in your review (or you can PM me), leave your idea. Then, leave your character's name, their personality, whether they are vegetarian or not, and their special ability. I'll PM the winner and announce them in the next chapter. Please enter the contest, because I need an original character/a way for Rosalie to be a bitch. And in addition, only the winner and I shall know how Rosalie exposes Bella (haha because I'm just so damn evil, like Aro, only I don't enjoy it so much). Anyways, please review and/or enter the mini-contest!


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